STEUBENVILLE, Ohio- The Franciscan Barons beat D'Youville College 2-1, winning their first game of the season on Senior Day. Playing at home, the men were supported by a passionate crowd, setting the stage for a dramatic game.

Before he subbed in with the score tied in the second half, senior Baron Joe Krilich promised his head coach Ward Rogers that he would finish the game for the Barons, despite coming off of an injury earlier in the game.

"Coach, I'm going to get the ball in the back of the net even if I have to tear every muscle in my leg," Krilich said to Rogers.

Krilich was able to keep the promise of scoring, and did so without any damage to his leg.

With two minutes left in sudden death overtime, Krilich took a corner kick and hammered the ball into the top right corner of the net, soaring over the goalkeeper's fingertips.

"This win would not have been possible without the efforts of our two seniors, Joe Krilich and Bill Milburn, who are finally healthy and back on the field," Rogers said. "They played with a lot of spark."

The Barons played an intense game throughout. Several powerful shots on goal led to a nerve-wracking game, but the Barons communication increased throughout the game as they allowed only one goal.

"We held possession of the ball throughout the game, which let the defense relax a little," Rogers said. "Our boys are doing better and better each game. We had a really good set of practices this week and it clearly showed today."

Freshman midfielder Jace Vansteenburg got the Barons their first lead of the season by faking out D'Youville's goalie and scoring in the ninth minute. The Barons almost added another in the first half but a controversial dead-ball call kept a Peter Herrmann goal off the board.

The midfields kept to their men during the game, setting the tone for the defense and forwards. They eased the visible tension that followed the players onto the field.

"Peter Mooney had a very nice game, he didn't lose his mark at all," Rogers said of the junior defender.

Despite Mooney's performance, D'Youville scored in the thirty-seventh minutes on a strong shot from outside the eighteen yard box that found its way into the upper left corner of the net.

The score remained even until Krilich's game winning corner kick.

"Sometimes people tend to look at a team in terms of wins and losses, but we're looking at the progress we've made this season," Rogers said. "This win is tremendous. When you get into a streak of losing games, and you finally win one it takes the pressure off your back so you can relax and move forward."

The Barons play Penn State Altoona on October 17, and hope to have their hard work pay off once more.